The Hobart Cadbury factory is preparing to close its doors for a five week break instead of two at the end of the year due to slowing sales.
The Claremont plant is said to be the largest chocolate factory in Australia and the southern hemisphere, and it underwent a $66 million upgrade that was designed to significantly increase production capacity.
Sales, however, have not kept up, according to the company’s parent, Mondelez International, which will halt production for five weeks over the Christmas period to ensure supply matches demand forecasts.
Cadbury is an iconic tourist attraction in the area and it is in line for a $16 million federal government grant for a tourism development at the facility.
Mondelez said it would maintain its tourism operations while the factory was shut down.
